Metal sail batten



April 22, 1958 T. P. HANNA 2,831,447

METAL SAIL BATTEN Filed April 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l H INVENTOR.

. H nna FIG. 4 BY Terence P a ATTORNEY April 22, 1958 T P. HANNA 2,831,447

METAL SAIL BATTEN Filed April 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Terence R Hanna AT TORNEY MIETAL SAIL BATTEN Terence P. Hanna, Weston, Conn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Terence P. Hanna, Weston, Conn., and S01 Lamport, Wantagh, N. Y.

Application April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,203

4 Claims. (Cl. 114-102) This invention relates to sailing equipment and, more particularly, to improved light-weight, high strength, and resilient battens for leech of a sail.

Battens are frequently used at the trailing edge (leech) of a sail. In the usual form, these battens are relatively elongated and narrow strips of wood inserted in pockets extending inwardly from the sail edge. The battens operate to stiffen the sail edge against undue fluttering or vibration, particularly when sailing close-hauled, and to hold the round or roach of the sail out.

As hitherto provided, the battens commonly used have been strips of wood, or sometimes plastic. However, battens of wood or plastic, when designed for adequate strength, have been relatively heavy and inflexible. These are disadvantages as, in sail equipment, it is desirable to achieve as light a weight as possible, and flexibility of the batten is desirable to continue the aerodynamic curve of the sail and to facilitate its insertion and removal relative to its pocket.

In accordance with the invention, the desirable characteristics of light weight with high strength, and sufficient flexibility for easy manipulation, are achieved by making the batten as an elongated, substantially rectangular loop of tempered metal. At least a portion of the loop is formed of tubular metal. Preferably, the loop comprises two relatively movable sections having their ends or arms telescoped, with the sections being biased to an extended position by coil springs in the tubular section.

Metal battens constructed in accordance with the invention are characterized by a very substantial reduction in weight and greatly enhanced resistance to breakage, as compared to wooden or plastic battens. In addition, they possess flexibility to a much greater degree than prior art battens. The preferred movable section or expansible batten has the further advantage of always pressing firmly outwardly against the edge of the sail.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are elevation views of a main sail and a jib, respectively, illustrating the use of battens in the leeches thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial elevation view of a sail illustrating the batten pocket construction and a batten inserted in the pocket;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of one form of batten embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view illustrating the connection of the two sections of the batten of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an elevation view of a preferred expansible batten embodying the invention; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view illustrating the interengagement of the two sections of the batten of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, a main sail 10 and a jib 15 are illustrated as having fabric pockets 20 extending inwardly at spaced intervals from the leech or trailing edge 12 of each sail. The leech of the sail comprises a folded over edge 13 of the sail canvas, stitched to the main body 11 of the sail by seam 14, thus forming a reinforcement for the sail edge.

Each pocket 20 comprises a strip of canvas 22 having its longer edges turned under and stitched to body 11 by seams 21. The inner end of the pocket is fully closed, while the outer end of the strip 22 is flared, as at 25, and stitched to body 11 by seam 23. The part of the outer end of the strip 22 aligned with the inner end is stitched to the edge of the sail, as at 24. However, the part of the outer end corresponding to flared portion 25 is left free, thus forming an opening for inserting batten 30 into pocket 20.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, batten 30 comprises a solid metal rod bent to substantially rectangular U-shape to form legs 31 and a bight 32, and a tubular metal rod similarly bent to form legs 33 and a bight 34. Legs 31 are inserted into tubular legs 33, to a predetermined extent depending on the desired length of the batten, and then legs 33 are crimped into legs 31 as at 35. This rigidly anchors the two sections to each other, forming an elongated, substantially rectangular metal loop.

The expansible batten 40 of Figs. 7 and 8 is formed in essentially the same manner by bending a solid metal rod and a tubular metal rod to substantially rectangular U- shape. However, in this case, a solid plug 46 is anchored in each tubular leg 43 by crimping legs 43 as at 45. Coil springs 47 are then inserted to seat on plugs 46. Next, solid legs 41 are inserted into tubular legs 43 with their inner ends engaging springs 46. Legs 41 are retained in legs 43 by headed studs 50 secured in each leg 41 and riding in slots 48 in legs 43.

Springs 47 continuously bias the two sections apart, thus maintaining batten 40 in firm engagement with leech 12 and the inner end of pocket 20. At the same time, batten 40 may be compressed to facilitate its insertion into pocket 20.

The invention batten, comprising a tubular U-shape section and a solid rod U-shape section, has advantages due to reduction in weight as compared to a batten made entirely of solid rod, as well as advantages in assembly. For example, the manufacture of the batten involves merely bending a tubular rod into U-shape, bending a solid rod into U-shape, inserting the ends of the solid rod into the tubular rod, and deforming the tubular rod into the solid rod to anchor the two rods to form an endless loop. Also, this particular two part construction has practical advantages in forming the spring biased extensible batten shown in Fig. 8.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed:

1. A batten for stiffening the leech of a sail, said batten comprising a tubular metal rod bent to form a U-shape section; a solid metal rod bent to form a U-shape section having legs inserted into the legs of the tubular section and secured therein to form an elongated endless loop, said sections being movably secured together; and resilient means, disposed in the legs of said tubular section and engaged with the ends of the legs of said solid section, biasing said sections to an extended position.

2. A batten for stiffening the leech of a sail, said batten comprising a tubular metal rod bent to form a substantially rectangular U-shape section; a solid metal rod bent to form a substantially rectangular U-shape section having Patented Apr. .22, 1.958

legs inserted into the legs of the tubular section and secured therein to form an elongated substantially rectangular endless loop, said sections being movably secured together; and resilient means, disposed in the legs oflsaid tubular section and engaged with the ends of the legs of said solid section, biasing said sections to an extended position.

3; A batten as claimed in claim 2 in which said resilient means includes abutments in the arms of the tubular U- shape section, and springs disposed between said abutments, and the ends of the arms of the solid rod U-shape section; and abutment means on the legs of said solid section engageable with limit means on the legs of said tubular section and limiting relative extension of said sections by said springs.

'4 4. A batten as claimed in claim 3 in which said limiting means comprises studs on the arms of the solid section engaged in slots in the arms of the tubular rod U-shape section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,608,172 Biuw Aug. 26, 1952 2,731,642 Storts Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 138,139 Sweden Nov. 18,1952 531,675 Great Britain I an. 8, 1941 

